


Aragorn the Evil

by Sivan325, SivanShemesh (Sivan325)



Category: Lord of the Rings (2001 2002 2003), TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, Gen, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-05-11
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2017-10-19 06:51:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/198125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sivan325/pseuds/Sivan325, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sivan325/pseuds/SivanShemesh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something changes everyone could feel it as the air was heavy. King Elessar was not as he was before. Legolas's angst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Alone in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ellender](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellender/gifts).



Title: Aragorn the Evil

Author: Sivan Shemesh

Beta: Aranel

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Rate: T

Warning: Angst, violence, abuse, OOC of Aragorn, Evil!Aragorn AU.

Summary: Something changes everyone could feel it as the air was heavy. King Elessar was not as he was before.

Characters: King Elessar a.k.a. Aragorn, Queen Arwen, Prince Eldarion, Legolas, Gimli and possibly other guests…

A/N: This story is dedicated to rosethorn59, because she is to blame for throwing me bunnies (and this is one of them). *grins* Love you, sweetie.

 __

Things do not change; we change.

~Henry David Thoreau

 **Chapter 1:** Alone in the Dark

 **4th Age**

 **Gondor**

Lord Legolas from Ithilien was worried.

It had been a quite long time since he heard from his dear friend and his family and that fact concerned him so deeply that he took off in a hurry, leaving Gimli to supervise his elves and help them. The dwarf would rather have followed him but Legolas had insisted that he stayed in Ithilien just in case something went wrong.

He had heard rumors about the condition of the royal family and he was upset. Why had he only heard about all this now? He was starting to blame himself for being so selfish and being with the elves at the expense of his friend. Perhaps, after all these years, Aragorn had forgotten about him.

He rode on his white horse at a steady pace, respecting Arod just as the stallion respected him and helped him from time to time even at war, and Legolas was proud of his horse.

But when he reached the tall wooden gates, he saw no guards at the wall, and he grew worried? Why were they not in position to see who was approaching the city?

Legolas called out for the guards and yet none of them appeared.

Why? His senses were alert now, fear filling his mind and heart, as he worried if the king had been held captive or if something had happened to the royal family. In this uncertainty, he could only hope for the best.

Eldarion's smiling face surfaced in his mind. The thought of how quickly he had grown attached to the boy almost frightened him but the child certainly held a piece of his heart, just like his father. They were Legolas' family.

"Hello? The gates!" he called, hoping that someone might open the gates and let him in – or even just respond in any way.

But there was no answer. Then, there in the wind… He could have sworn by the Valar that he heard Eldarion's voice calling for him.

"Eldarion!" he called, hoping that the boy would reply, "Elessar, Arwen…"

Nothing.

Legolas felt that despite the blinding sun, he was truly in the dark, alone. He stared at the gates helplessly. There was no one around, no sign of life. He could feel the waves of despair soaring in his body as he walked back toward Arod. Perhaps he ought to find some other means and call for help.

As he mounted Arod, something drifted over from the castle. He watched it with keen eyes, waiting till it landed on the ground, and seeing no sign of danger, Legolas dismounted and walked to it.

He picked up the parchment and his heart gripped. It was stained with blood with a lone word.

 **HELP!**

End of Chapter 1.


	2. A Plan Gone Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer, Summary and Warning could be finding in 1st chapter.
> 
> Beta: Aranel

Legolas was filled with dread as he recognized the handwriting.

'Oh Valar, what am I going to do?' Legolas thought.

Staring at the parchment, he could feel its stain on his skin. The blood still felt warm.

At once, he mounted his horse, riding back to Ithilien, riding hard as though some creatures were hunting him. He needed Gimli’s help, and having Lord Faramir might be helpful as well.

As he approached, he was glad to see the distant outlines of Faramir and Gimli, heading towards Galdor, his guard. Looking at their urgent gestures, Legolas afforded himself a moment to wonder what they spoke of. Surely nothing had gone wrong meanwhile?

Galdor, meanwhile, had started to get the elves into position, ready to attack any target that appeared in sight – when it appeared. For the moment, there was only Legolas, riding hard on Arod, but he was not about to let his guard down.

When the horse finally stopped, Galdor hastened to meet his lord.

"Legolas, my lord, who is after you?" Galdor asked, still checking if anything hid in the shadows beyond.

"No one, I believe," Legolas replied, sighing heavily, and then he explained what was wrong. "I got this," he showed him the plea for help, and then he added, "I could not go pass the gates; somehow the guards did not let me in. I am not hopeful about the state of those in the castle."

"This is bad," Gimli said grimly, and then he asked the others, "What should we do then?"

"We need a plan,” Faramir replied, and turning to Legolas, he continued, “and hopefully the gates will be open for you this time, Legolas. But you will need to let us know what happened."

Legolas nodded, but Gimli appeared shocked. "Are you letting Legolas go and face whatever is waiting inside – alone?" he asked.

"I might have a good plan," Faramir replied.

Legolas watched his friends, wondering just what he had agreed to. Faramir and Gimli were now in earnest discussion, turned aside, their voices low. He sighed and walked over. "Now, would you want to enlighten me on this plan?"

\---

No words were exchanged as Faramir and Gimli, with help of Galdor, prepared the prince to enter the gates, knowing how dangerous it would be and fearing it would be worse.

"Are you certain that this is a good plan?" Legolas asked the steward with concern.

"I am, and you must not fail or be taken in by anything," Faramir replied, hoping for the best – anything to prevent having to plan a second search-and-rescue mission.

Some moments later, as the sun was high in the sky, they knew that it would be easy for the human guards to notice Legolas, dressed in Faramir’s customary attire.

"Good luck, lad," Gimli told him, and Faramir added, "We will be around; we will watch and be ready for whatever happens. May the Valar be with you, mellon-nin."

"I hope so as well." Legolas saluted them and walked toward the foreboding gate. With a horrible squelch that took him by surprise, the gates opened to him. He was not surprised, however, as guards started to approach, as though circling him.

"We do hope, Lord Faramir, that you will save our lives and save our king from whatever is wrong with him," one of the guards told him.

"Would you know what caused him to act in this manner?" Legolas asked, trying to speak as the steward would.

"I do not know all the details, but perhaps my queen does," another guard replied.

Once Legolas was inside, he saw his friend's hands covered in blood, but looking around, he could not see any sign of Arwen or Eldarion.

"Faramir, what are you doing here?" the king asked, leaving his chair and walking to him.

"Or should I say, ‘Legolas’?" Elessar added with a sneer.

"How did you know that it was me?" Legolas asked, frowning visibly. He thought he had a reasonably good disguise.

"It was not easy to tell,” the king replied mirthlessly. “After all, I did not know that Faramir has blond braids, and he has grown tall."

Legolas knew that he was doomed to whatever fate his friend had for him, even if Aragorn was not himself.

"Chain him to the post!" the king ordered and then he added, "Do not forget to cover his eyes; I do not wish him to see my great powers."

Legolas could feel something pulled over his head, covering his eyes. Now all he could see was mere darkness, and for the first time in his life he felt fear – fear for, and of, the dear friend that he grew up with.

"Forgive us, Lord Legolas," one of the guards whispered to the elf.

The elf nodded. He knew that the guards were under the king's authority, and they could not risk stopping him.

Within moments, Legolas’ hands and his feet were tied, and he did not know where and how; he did not feel a thing before the pain hit him with full power, and Legolas felt his own frame trembling from that impact.

Tears. He felt tears slipping from his eyes, as another bolt of pain lashed out at him. And blood. He could smell the dull tang of his own blood and life, draining from his body as what felt like a leash landed on his battered back, as though tearing the skin off.

Legolas felt that the ropes around him were loosened and that he was being thrown on the cold floor. He felt a boot trampling down on his body with full might, and he gave up, allowing his tired self to sink into the welcoming darkness that soon engulfed him.


	3. Holding Back the Flood…

Little Eldarion crawled as close as he could toward his uncle, the elf whom he respected and loved so much.

"Eldarion, my son," Arwen called in fear as she watched the chains holding her son back. The boy was nonetheless trying to reach Legolas. "He will be all right," she tried to assure him.

"But nana… why does he not answer me?" Eldarion asked, his voice shaky.

As the boy turned, Arwen could see the streaks of tears down his face – tears of fear and worry – but there was nothing she could do. Wearily, she turned to look at her friend’s battered body, stained with his own blood. Could she even hold hope for him to survive another day?

"He is very hurt, my son," Arwen replied, trying to put aside those other thoughts in spite of the overpowering smell of blood, and she added, "I hope he’ll recover soon and he will answer you then, my sweet boy."

"Nana, but there is so much blood leaving his body…" Eldarion told her worriedly. Even at his age, he knew what the smell of blood meant and truly feared that his dear uncle was lying on the floor, dead.

"No… please…" Legolas’ lips parted in a hoarse whisper but Arwen knew he had not left the engulfing darkness.

"Nana?" Eldarion asked his mother with fear in his voice, his body trembling in fear of his uncle was going through.

"He is having nightmares just like you sometimes do," Arwen told him, veering on a lie in the hope that her son would be spared the pain.

"Nana," Eldarion asked pleaded in his eyes, "Is it going to be ending soon?"

"I do not know my son; it all depends on your adar," Arwen replied.

"But adar hates me…" Eldarion tried to cover his eyes but to no avail for the chains pulled his hands away. He turned to face his nana again, "Why is adar acting so mean to us? What did we do to make him hate us so much?"

"You did not do anything, my precious son," Arwen replied, not wishing that he feel it was his fault, and then she added, "I believe that something took over your adar's soul and heart, but I do not know what is the cause behind his acts."

A crack sounded and they turned their heads toward the heavy door. A strong sheen of light lit up the room for a moment and then the door was shut.

The king entered the room with his guards behind him; the guards were watching apprehensively what the king did to their beloved queen and prince -- and even Lord Legolas from Ithilien. They knew that they should do something, but if King Elessar found out, he would certainly kill them personally, sparing no mercy. The guards could only endure this trapped situation they found themselves in and wish that somehow help would come. But they, too, knew that with Legolas caught, their hope was fading slowly with each the end of each day.

Elessar walked toward the boy with a cruel smile on his face. As Arwen saw her husband walking toward her precious, she feared for the first time that Aragorn would indeed kill him.

"Please… my king…" Arwen begged, not fearing any shame as the tears fell freely from her eyes, "Do not hurt our son, please…"

Elessar took another step forward, to the boy, and the smile on his face widened as another voice called to him from the shadows, "If you want… to hurt… someone… you should… hurt me… instead of them… just do not… hurt the boy… I will do anything… please…"

"Are you asking to get hurt, elf?" Elessar turned from the boy, walking toward the still bleeding elf. His feet conveniently nudged his wounds, eliciting a not too muffled moan of pain.

Legolas swallowed the lump in his throat, fighting against the pain, before he managed weakly, "I only ask you… not to hurt the boy…"

The king bent over beside the injured elf as he viciously retrieved the dagger hidden in his sleeve. He moved it, in a measured manner, toward the elf's battered back. With an almost careful, deliberate stroke, he sliced Legolas's back, adding another scar on the pale body.

Arwen’s breath caught as she heard her friend scream hoarsely. Painful thoughts flashed before her mind and she feared for his life. He had to be strong, he had to… She made herself release her breath but there was nothing she could do but look on in horror as the blade caught the light of the sun and revealed itself to be dripping with blood.

She did not know what happened next but her husband – no, was he still the one she called husband? – but he must have left. She could still see the drops of elven blood on the cold floor, dripping from the dagger – even though the room had fallen dark again. Arwen sobbed, her resolve to remain strong for her son shattering.

"Legolas?" she called. But there was only the faint echo in the room, nothing more.

"Legolas…" she called again. The name rang softly in the room but the elf did not respond to his name.

"Nana…" Eldarion’s voice had a slight tremor.

"What is it, my son?" Arwen asked him, brushing her tears away. For now, she yearned for nothing but to reach her son and hold him tight, never ever letting go of the precious boy.

It was a while before Eldarion swallowed and choked out his question, "Is…is Uncle Legolas… dead?"


	4. Run... Eldarion... Run...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer, Summary and Warning could be finding in 1st chapter.
> 
> Beta: Aranel

As soon as the king had left, a guard stepped into the room to secure the prisoners.

Though what the king did not know was that this guard would do anything to save his queen and prince, and hopefully to find out what had caused his king to act like this.

Much as the guard knew that he could be found guilty of high treason, he needed to help as much as Queen Arwen and the little prince needed his aid. Among the most loyal guards, they had come up with a plan, and it was time to set it into motion.

All they had to do was to ensure that King Elessar would not visit Queen Arwen, Prince Eldarion or Lord Legolas.

Manny, the guard watched the wounded royal family and a very injured Lord Legolas, still lying face-down with his back so marred by the lashes.

"Nana..." Eldarion sobbed quietly.

The guard's heart broke to see the boy hurt so cruelly by his father.

"What is it, my son?" Arwen asked. She wanted nothing more than to take her son in her arms and never ever let go of him. She had to protect her frail child from the husband she could neither understand nor recognize.

"I miss ada... I hate ada like this..." Eldarion cried in the cold. The chains must have hurt him but the boy did not complain. It was more than enough for him to see his beloved uncle beaten and yet not say a word of the pain that he endured.

For Eldarion, Legolas was his hero.

But as for Legolas. He could only suffer quietly. The tears of pain caressed his cheeks, his blood burned his skin. What made it hurt much more than he could have imagined was that it had been his best friend. There, the hand that had held the dagger. No, not a friend. A...a monster.

"E… l… dar… ion…" he called weakly.

Arwen heard her friend calling her son, and urged Eldarion to move as close as the chains would let him.

"Can you reach him, son?" Arwen asked Eldarion.

"Barely, nana," Eldarion replied. He could only see all the blood. Was the elf alive? His chest did not move up and down.

"Go… run… for… your… life…" Legolas weak voice was clear enough for Arwen.

"He cannot go anywhere; he is chained to the wall just as I am," Arwen told her friend.

"No, he is not." A voice interrupted softly. The guard then bent over and released her bonds as well. "You are free to go, my queen."

"Will he not search for us?" Arwen asked in fear, shifting over to her son and holding him tightly.

"He will, but if we are going to meet any danger, at least we should free your son from his evil mind," the guard suggested.

Arwen nodded, enveloping Eldarion in a close embrace. If she wanted him to be safe, her only hope was to set him free and look forward to seeing him again, alive.

Arwen lifted her son's chin, looking intently at him.

"Do you understand what you have to do?" Arwen asked him.

Eldarion nodded and then he turned toward the unmoving elf on the floor, "Is he not coming with us?"

"He cannot, but you are his hope, if you will run when you have to. Do you remember the shortcut that Legolas showed you? The shortcut to Ithilien?"

Eldarion nodded, he pulled his mother close. Arwen wrapped him warmly in her arms and kissed his forehead.

"I love you, nana," Eldarion told her, and then he looked at his injured uncle whom he loved so much. "Tell Uncle Legolas that I love him… Gimli will help him."

With that, he followed the guard out of the room. He heard the door close behind him and gave a heavy sigh. He knew that, once the gates were locked, he would have to find his courage and run till he reached Gimli.


	5. In Safer Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer, Summary and Warning can be found in 1st chapter.
> 
> Beta: Aranel

Eldarion fell in after the guard. He could finally feel his legs again, and yet every last ounce of his body was hurting. But he thought about his mother and his uncle. He had to find the strength to help them.

The guard caught him as he stumbled. After all the child had suffered, it was the least that he could do.

"Thank you," Eldarion tried to find his balance and stand on his own.

"Are you certain that you are all right?" The guard asked.

"I will be when I'm with my uncles. Now I need to be out of the gates," Eldarion replied.

"Yes. Follow me, and you will be free."

Eldarion nodded and kept close to the guard.

The guard knew some shortcuts, and he knew the risks. If the king found them, he would certainly be hung, the prince would suffer more than one bruise, the queen would be tormented and Legolas, the elf might find his death at the hand of his best friend.

The boy was still behind, supporting himself along the wall, trying to catch his breath. Someone poured him some water, while the guard stood his ground, watching.

"Save us, little one."

I… will… try…" Eldarion replied weakly. His body was tired but he knew that he had to hold himself together. His journey had only just begun.

They were close now. The guard could make out the gates in the distance.

"Are we there?" Eldarion asked, stumbling after the guard.

"Almost."

Eldarion looked at the gates. Here in the open, the sun shone right into the courtyard. He tried to shield his eyes. He had not seen the outdoors for so long; he missed the warmth of the sun.

"But the gates are closed," Eldarion realized.

"There is one way that the king probably does not know about, and you seem small enough to pass through it."

"Show me?" Eldarion asked.

They approached the gates. There was a small lodging and they entered through the narrow hallway. Eldarion saw a slit of an opening in the far wall.

He turned to the guard for confirmation.

The guard nodded. "Go, my prince. I will keep watch. Once you have passed it, do not turn back, do not make a sound, just keep running, do you understand?"

Eldarion nodded. He was too tired to speak but he wrapped the guard in a hug in gratitude.

"Save us, and then you can thank me properly," the guard told him with a smile.

Eldarion reached a hand into the gap and felt around. It seemed alright. He pushed a leg through, then his head, his body, his other hand and leg. Once he scrambled out, he ran as fast as he could.

\----

Faramir and Gimli kept watching the gates. There was no movement at all. No one was entering or leaving.

Something was fishy, and worse, there was no sign of Legolas.

But there was some movement near the wall. Faramir squinted. Someone was running as though orcs were after him.

"It's a boy," Faramir told the dwarf. "He's thin and haggard, and seems to be about to collapse."

They hurried over, calling on him to stop. The boy did not seem to hear them but was pursuing a different route.

One of the guards managed to catch hold of the boy.

Faramir held onto the boy to steady him. A layer of grime caked on his face, but as Faramir bent down, there was no mistaking him. Faramir dropped on his knees in shock.

"Eldarion?"

"Is it you, little one?" Gimli asked, taking in the state of the boy.

Eldarion's eyes finally flashed in recognition. "It is me," he gasped between pants. "Finally safe." He looked at his uncles before falling into the embrace of darkness.

"Good to have you back," Faramir told the boy who was too far gone to hear them.

Gimli nodded. "Yes, you are in safe hands now; we will take care of you."


	6. The Heart of Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer, Summary and Warning could be finding in 1st chapter.
> 
> Beta: Aranel

"Oh… Eldarion…" Éowyn could barely hold herself from crying as she noticed the scars that marked his body. She cradled the king's son and held him close while they cleaned his wounds.

Éowyn wanted nothing more than to protect him. That was her overwhelming thought as she carried him to the room where her son Elboron slept and laid him down in the adjacent bed. She was sure that Elboron would not mind the company but she could only hope that both boys would sleep well that night.

As she tucked Eldarion in, she heard Gimli’s and Faramir’s voices from outside the door. 

"Do you think it is safe for Elboron to stay with Eldarion?" Gimli asked.

"They are good friends," Faramir replied in an assured voice.

"What about nightmares?" Gimli peeked into the room, watching Eldarion warily.

"We will be here, and who knows, perhaps my son would surprise us all," Faramir replied with a grin.

When night came, Elboron climbed into bed and watched as the door closed after his parents. They had told him what had happened to Eldarion and he did not want his friend to hurt any more. With a concerned gaze, Elboron watched him sleep, a frown across his brow. Elboron wished that his friend would speak with him but the boy’s eyes were closed.

It did not take long for Elboron to jump awake. Did he hear his friend calling for help? He turned to him at once. It looked as though he was trembling but he was not making a single sound. Worried, Elboron left his bed and tiptoed to his friend's side.

"Eldarion?" Elboron called softly. "It’s okay, you are safe." 

His friend was hiding under the blanket and Elboron lifted it up, only to see Eldarion's eyes wide open in fear. 

"You are in my room, no one will hurt you now," Elboron repeated.

"But… Nana and Uncle Legolas, I don’t want them to die…" Eldarion’s lips quivered and he broke into sobs.

"How did it come to this? What happened?" Elboron asked.

"I don’t know," Eldarion replied and wiped his tears on his sleeve. "The last thing I remember of Ada was that he started to beat me. But he never did that before. He never beat me or Nana."

Elboron sat down on the bed. "My ada and Gimli will handle it. They will take care of your ada, Eldarion," he tried to comfort his friend.

"I really hope that they will find out why my ada is so strange now. I don’t know why he wants to hurt us."

"They will find out, I trust them. And besides, they are my family," Elboron said with pride, and then he added, looking into his friend’s bloodshot eyes, "Just as you are my best friend."

\--

**Meanwhile in the dungeons…**

There was no way Arwen could tell if her son made it to Ithilien, there was no light from moon or star. Legolas was still lying in the same position. He did not even twitch and that concerned the queen. Could her friend be…?

She was so consumed with worry that nothing seemed to matter anymore. Day and night were mere blurs in the passage of time. She could do nothing but wait. At times, she wished only to give in, to give up; but even tears were failing her.

Hope was diminishing with each passing moment. What had happened to her husband to cause him to act this way? Was some sorcery at work here? He had never lifted a finger against her but now she sensed nothing but evil intent. If his heart of gold was filled with darkness… Arwen shuddered at the thought.


End file.
